Origins (1877–1912)[edit]

Report in Dundalk Herald of the first annual meeting of Dundalk R.F.C., 5 October 1878

Dundalk R.F.C. was established as 'Dundalk Football Club' in 1877–78 by a group of 'gentleman amateurs' from the town's merchant and professional classes, most of whom were already active in other local amateur clubs founded in the 1870s such as the cricket club, the rowing and sailing clubs, the rifle association, and the cycling club. Founder members included Graves A. Leech (the club's first captain) and Robert Q. Blackader (the club's first Secretary and Treasurer). It is known that the club was established in either late 1877 or early 1878 because of a report of its first annual meeting appearing in the Dundalk Herald of 5 October 1878, which states that the club was "established late in the past season".[1] The first recorded visit of an established team to the town was that of Wanderers on 8 March 1879, which was played at the Pigeon House Field (a division of the Demesne).[2]

Dundalk were founder members of the Provincial Towns Rugby Football Union in 1882 alongside Armagh, Bessbrook, Derry, and Dungannon. This union then voted to become a branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union in 1884.[3] Dundalk (and another club formed at the Great Northern Railway works in the town in 1884) competed in the Provincial Towns Cup (the competition that later became the Ulster Towns Cup, and not the Leinster-based competition of the same name).[4] The rise of the G.A.A. and Gaelic football in the late 1880s, together with the departure from the town of some of the club's leading members (including Robert Blackader, now the club President, and his replacement as club captain and Secretary, T.J.E. Ashley) saw it decline. But Ireland's first Triple Crown in 1894, together with the "dying out" of the "Gaelic craze", saw the enthusiasm for rugby pick up, and the club was reorganised as 'Dundalk Rugby Football Club' for 1894–95.[5] That season, they reached the final of the (Ulster) Provincial Towns Cup for the first time and were defeated by Dungannon at the Dundalk Athletic Grounds. Dundalk successfully protested that Dungannon had fielded ineligible players and the game was replayed in Dungannon, with Dungannon again winning.[6][7]

Dundalk R.F.C. 1894–95, reprinted in Dundalk Democrat, 16 April 1932

In the following seasons the club was only sporadically active,[8] and by 1903 had become dormant while G.N.R. had switched codes to association football. The club was revived in 1906 under the presidency of Henry C. Backhouse, adopted colours of black and white striped shirts, and moved to play in Leinster competition exclusively.[9] They won their first honour in the 1908–09 season when they defeated St Mary's College in a replay to win the Leinster Junior Challenge Cup for the only time.[10] They reached the final again the following year but were defeated by Merrion in a replay.[11]

Re-establishment and success (1922–1967)[edit]

The club subsequently declined again and it did not begin the 1912–13 season, most likely because of a lack of playing members as Gaelic football had again become the dominant footballing code in north Louth.[12] Led by the efforts of Frank Corr, who became honorary secretary, it was re-established in 1922. The re-established club's president was Paul V. Carolan, who had also been its president in the 1890s, while other committee members with connections going back to the 1880s and 1890s included Henry C. Backhouse, John M. Cox, and Augustine N. Sheridan.[13]

In 1932, they won their first Provincial Towns Cup (which had been reorganised from the Leinster Junior Challenge Cup in 1925), defeating Longford on a 7–0 scoreline at Lansdowne Road.[14] They contested 10 more finals between 1936 and 1949, winning six—in 1936–37,[15] 1938–39,[16] 1944–45,[17] and then three in a row in 1946–47,[18] 1947–48,[19] and 1948–49.[20] The rugby team's 1949 Towns Cup victory was nearly part of a unique sporting treble for the town that weekend, with Dundalk F.C. winning that season's FAI Cup final the next day. But in Gaelic football, Louth were defeated in the National League final.[21]

Dundalk also won the Ryan Midland Cup (a competition run between 1927–28 and 1940–41) twice during this period—in 1934–35 (the first year they were invited to enter) and again in 1936–37. The latter victory resulted in a 'cup double' for the club to go with that season's Towns Cup win. But the 1937 final became notorious subsequently because the IRFU had attempted to postpone it but apparently did not tell the two teams competing—Dundalk and Birr. Both teams turned up at Lansdowne Road on the day but no match referee was present. The match went ahead with the president of the Dundalk club taking charge, but it was ended by an IRFU official after 50 minutes with Dundalk leading 7–0 because the same day's Bateman Cup final was due to start.[22] The 1950s and 1960s were comparatively lean for Dundalk with no further appearances in a Towns Cup decider.[23]

New home and more success (1967–2000)[edit]

The club moved to its present home ground at Mill Road in 1967 and the official opening came two years later after a £20,000 investment in the pitches and a new pavilion.[24] That season, 1969–70, Dundalk reached the Towns Cup final for the first time in 21 years and defeated Navan, 8–3, to win the Cup for the eighth time.[25]

They won the McGowan League (a North Leinster regional competition) for the first time in 1976–77.[26] The following season, the club initiated a new tournament called the Blackstock Trophy, named after former club President, Reggie Blackstock. It was intended to be an annual inter-provincial tournament contested by Dundalk, Ennis, Lisburn, and Ballina and hosted by each club on rotation. Dundalk won in 1978 and won again in 1983, which was also the final edition of the tournament.[27] Also in 1983–84, they won the McGowan League for the second time.[28] The following season, 1984–85, they won the Portadown Floodlit Tournament (known as the 'Nutty-Krust Cup' for sponsorship purposes).[29] A third McGowan League was won in 1985–86, which qualified Dundalk for the 1986 Roscrea Festival of Rugby—a 16-team junior rugby tournament that Dundalk went on to win.[30]

1986–87 would be the club's most successful season in its history to that point. Having already won the Roscrea festival, they then retained the McGowan League for the first time and reached the final of the Leinster Junior 1 League. They lost 10–6 to Lansdowne seconds, which cost them a place in the following season's Leinster Senior League. However, they had also reached the Towns Cup final for the first time since 1970 and they won the Cup for the ninth time with a 13–6 victory over Kilkenny.[31] In 1992–93, they reached a second Junior 1 League final where they lost to St Mary's. But they won a fifth McGowan League title the same season,[32] and retained it the following year.[33]

After the creation of the All-Ireland League (AIL), the IRFU formed new leagues for junior sides. The Leinster League was formed in 1994–95, replacing the Junior 1 League, and Dundalk were the inaugural winners of the Division One title, but automatic promotion to the AIL was not introduced until the following season.[34] The following season, under the New Zealander player-coach, Mark Benton, they won the Nutty Krust Cup for a second time.[35] In the Leinster League, they were pipped to the title by Suttonians on points-difference. Suttonians were then promoted to the AIL.[36]

Modern era (2000–present day)[edit]

The new Leinster League competition meant that the existing junior rugby competitions that the club had entered in previous years either faded away or were reorganised as youths tournaments. Subsequently, Dundalk went through another lean period in both the Towns Cup and the Leinster League, with only a losing Towns Cup final appearance in 2000, before they won the Cup for the tenth time in 2011, with a 35–20 victory over Tullamore.[37]

They finished top of Division 1A of the Leinster League in 2014–15 under player-coach Ene Fa'atau (brother of Samoa international Lome Fa'atau). This win ensured qualification for a 'round robin' tournament between the four provincial league winners, in which two clubs would be promoted to the All-Ireland League Division 2C for 2015–16. Dundalk defeated De La Salle Palmerstown 22–10 to secure promotion, thus becoming a 'senior' club for the first time.[38] The same season they won the McGowan Cup for the first time since 1993–94 (the competition having undergone several format changes since the formation of the Leinster League),[39] and the All-Ireland Junior Cup for the first time (the club's first national title in its history), defeating Bangor in the final, 55–5.[40] Fa'atau left at the end of the season and in their first season in the All-Ireland League, Dundalk struggled to compete and were relegated to Leinster League Division 1A again for 2016–17.[41]

The 2019–20 playing season was suspended and ultimately cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020–21 season was also cancelled.[42] The 2021–22 season saw the club relegated from the top-tier of the Leinster League for the first time and it is competing in Division 1B of the Leinster League as of 2024–25